Parenting Advice from St. Francis de Sales

"In our duties we must work calmly and with composure, performing them as promptly as possible and as well as we can."

Of course, St. Francis is writing to everyone, but this quote addresses many of the "needs improvement" areas of my parenting.

When I first read this, a column Elizabeth wrote this summer leaped to mind. She spoke of gentleness and what I call "interruptibility."

Yes, my children need to wait sometimes, but most often it's better for me to treat their voices as monastery bells, calling me immediately to duty (especially when I'm reading or clicking).

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever grow up! It seems I still have so much maturing to do. For right now my goals are

1. calmness/composure/gentleness/patience and
2. prompt/mindful/intentional parenting.

A tall enough order to keep me busy for a while, eh?